By: Jonathan Brazeau, sportsnet.ca
From the notorious turn three that has claimed both rookies and legends to edge-of-the-seat finishes, Toronto has had more than its fair share of memorable IndyCar moments since the temporary street course made its debut in 1986.
Sportsnet.ca takes a look at the top 10 that have made Toronto one of the most exciting races on the schedule.
1989 — Andretti wins first of his seven Toronto race wins
Looking through the race winners in Toronto, there’s two names that pop up frequently: Michael Andretti and Newman/Haas Racing. The powerhouse pair claimed victory in Toronto for the first time in 1989 in a race that saw Andretti fend off former Formula One star Emerson Fittipaldi for the checkered flags. <br
1993 — Tracy becomes first Canadian to win in T.O.
It’s not often that the fans are louder than the cars, but such was the case in 1993 as Toronto native Paul Tracy made the final turn passing the grandstand to win the race. In only his second year in the series, the “Thrill from West Hill” not only established himself as a local hero but also a contender for the championship. Exactly a decade later, Tracy once again found himself standing at the top of the podium in his hometown, again with the full sport of the Canadian crowd behind him.
1995 — Andretti wins fifth Toronto race in seven years
From 1989 to 1995, Michael Andretti captured five Toronto wins in a seven-year span. In 1995, Andretti had gone a year-long drought without a win, his last was coincidentally at the 1994 Toronto race. He was joined on the podium this time by inaugural race winner Bobby Rahal and Jacques Villeneueve, who qualified for pole position but finished third. It would be Villeneuve’s final race in Toronto as the Canadian driver jumped to Formula One for the 1996 season.
1999 – Fans seeing Green
Team KOOL Green finished a “cool” 1-2 at the 1999 Molson Indy Toronto. It was a race that could’ve been won by Walker Racing’s Gil de Ferran. Unfortunately for the Brazilian driver, he punted a tire in pit lane and was penalized, sending him to the back of the pack. Dario Frachitti took the lead and eventually the win, while teammate Paul Tracy snagged second place.
2000 — Turn three claims another victim
Nobody quite expected the 2000 Molson Indy Toronto to start like it did. At the end of Lake Shore Boulevard is turn three, a heavy braking zone that has led to some memorable on-track incidents over the years. On the very first lap, Helio Castroneves’ brakes locked up and defending race winner Dario Franchitti collided with Juan Montoya, the 1999 CART series champion. What wasn’t a surprise: Michael Andretti was once again celebrating at the top of the podium after the race.
2004 — Bourdais dominates
He qualified for pole position and led for 75 of 84 laps, Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais dominated his way to win the 2004 Molson Indy Toronto. Bourdais capped Newman/Haas Racing’s reign in Toronto with the team’s record seventh win at the track.
2005 — Allmendinger goes for a spin
A.J. Allmendinger was gunning for his first Champ Car victory at Toronto, but ended up pushing a little too hard. With only six laps remaining, Allmendinger was biting at the heels of race leader Justin Wilson when he slammed into the tire wall. He wasn’t the only one who lost control as seconds later Mario Dominguez slid and smashed into him.
With Allmendinger out of the race, Canadian Alex Taglaini, who was running fourth, claimed a spot on the podium. Allmendinger got his redemption the following year though when he won the 2006 running of the Molson Indy Toronto.
2007 — Carnage takes Tracy out early
In the final Toronto race during the Champ Car era, four cars didn’t even manage to complete a single lap. Rain had plagued the morning practice and the track was still damp when the green flag was flown. As the field reached the infamous turn three and bunched up, Alex Tagliani knocked off the front wing from Simon Pagenaud’s car. The wing collected under Paul Tracy’s car and caused the Toronto driver to eventually crash on turn seven. This set off a chain reaction that also saw Katherine Legge, Alex Figge, and Tristan Gommendy all end their race before even finishing the opening lap around the circuit. Gommendy almost flipped up over the back of Jan Heylen, who also got caught up in the carnage and managed to lug his car into the pits where he retired from the race.
2009 — Franchitti kick off IndyCar era in Toronto
Ten years after his last win in Toronto, Dario Franchitti led a rebirth of racing in the city. Following the merger of Champ Car and IndyCar, Toronto saw itself without a race for the first time in a long while in 2008. But it wouldn’t be for long as Toronto was back on the schedule the following year. Franchitti, who last raced in Toronto in 2002, took pole position and led 45 laps to win.
The race also saw E.J. Viso and Mario Moraes get acquainted with each other. The two came together not only on lap 72 but also when the race had already finished.
2011 — Power and Franchitti wage war
During last year’s Honda Indy Toronto, Will Power and Dario Franchitti battled in the standings, on the track and on Twitter. With the two locked in a race for the overall prize, Franchitti spun Power from contention when they collided coming out of turn three. The Australian driver, who was later knocked out of the race by Alex Tagliani, took his rivalry with Franchitti to the social media realm after the race.
“Hey princess, thanks for that nice tap today– appreciate it,” Power wrote on Twitter.
It wasn’t the only on-track incident near that corner. The race also saw Tagliani’s car turn completely sideways after running over the front tire of Danica Patrick and catapulting into the air.